Telecommunication networks have become increasingly useful as network speed, reliability, and methods of delivery have increased. Generally, telecommunications and voice networks consist of network equipment (including computers, PBX's, voice messaging systems, routers, switches, hubs and servers), the media that connects the equipment (like cable, fiber, or a radio frequency signal), and the application programs or services provided by the network equipment. Data that is stored on any particular piece of network equipment may be accessible to any other piece of network equipment connected to the storing network equipment. In this way, telecommunications and voice networks may allow users and applications to interact over large or small geographical distances by sharing information.
Typically a voice network will include several pieces of equipment for handling voice calls, voice messaging, such as message application servers and/or message storage servers that handle voice mail, communication servers that provide voice over IP, caller applications, traffic routing, paging, facsimile, and other voice services. Each piece of equipment may come from a different vendor, and may potentially have unique storage and formatting standards for the data they generate and record.
Hence, there is a need for methods and apparatus to organize and present large amounts of substantially real-time operating information about voice and messaging equipment in a user-friendly and flexible way. The need is even more pressing with respect to communications networks that employ different messaging formats and use equipment from a variety of vendors to store, process, and deliver the various formats.